Of Love and Hope (Beauty and the Beast audio recording)
| Title: | Of Love and Hope |
| Creator: | |
| Date(s): | 1989, reissued in 1998? |
| Medium: | audio cassette, LP, CD |
| Fandom: | Beauty and the Beast (TV) |
| Language: | English |
| External Links: | |
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Of Love and Hope is a 1989 Beauty and the Beast (TV) for-profit professional audio recording.
It contains Ron Perlman reading poetry to music from the show. Contents can be seen here.
It was promoted heavily in some fan publications, such as Pipeline. An official promotion was V.I.P. Weekend: Beauty Meets the Beast.
Video: Ron Perlman Of Love and Hope signing and signing OLAH.
Similar Products
A CD called Hyperspace by Don Davis, recorded in 1991, was originally meant to be a follow-up to this album. It was, instead, released in 1994.
A similar sort-of fan, sort-of official project was 1993's The Caliendo Tapes.
In 1995, a fan created Beauty and the Beast Audiotapes, which among other things, "'mops up' the poetry, readings and music not included on the album `Of Love and Hope'."
Supposed Fan Input!
In December 1988, TPTB asked for fan opinion:
The poetry recording by Ron Perlman (Vincent), originally to have been released late last September through Arista Records, has now been undertaken by Ripp Entertainment/Fidelity Studios for projected release on February 14, 1989 (St. Valentine's Day). Distributors will be under Capitol Record's label nationally and the EMI label world-wide. In an unprecedented move, Artie Ripp of Ripp Entertainment requested the "Helper's Network" to come up with some kind of consensus as to what fans of the show would like to see/hear on the album. As of this writing, a meeting was scheduled for November 17th with representatives from both the "Network" and executives from Beauty and the Beast, Ripp Entertainment, CarolCo Licensing, Capitol Record's Research & Marketing Department and Republic Pictures to discuss the form and content of the recording.
Tentative selections that would be read 'in character' by Mr. Perlman include poetry quoted during the first season. And an 'Overture Style' treatment of the show's musical themes by composers Lee Holdridge and Don Davis.
Overall fan reaction has been one of total faith in Supervising Producer Ron Koslow, who will have final creative say in the project. Favorites from last year, like "Sonnet 29," and passages from "Surprised by Joy" and "Letters to a Young Poet" were highest on many a fan's wish list, as was hearing the musical score on its own. Other votes were cast for the inclusion in the album of readings by Linda Hamilton (Catherine) and Roy Dotrice (Father). As well as requests for literary selections that have yet to be used in the series...
Note: There is absolutely no guarantee that our input will be acted upon. In any case, this editor applauds Mr. Ripp and Mr. Koslow for extending such an extraordinary courtesy to Beauty and the Beast's devotees. [1]
"No Need for Valium..."
From a short blurb and interview with a marketing person:
Many fan publishers listed with the "Helpers' Network" were surprised by a free tape sent out to them by Capitol Records. A promotion for their new LP, it contained a "sample" from Ron Perlman's album, now officially entitled, "Of Love and Hope."
"She walks in beauty, like the night..." The voice is Vincent's, but it is the skill of a classical actor bringing all his experience to bear, that makes the words themselves seem loved. The music is the very sound of Vincent's Catherine. It is Laura's courage in waltz-time. It's violins that speak oceans, and horns that build cityscapes into the clouds.
Capitol Records confirmed that the 'single,' first mentioned last month, will arrive in stores the week of April 10th; and the album itself will not hit the stores till May 2nd.
According to Angela Wendkos of Ripp Entertainment on Feb. 10th, the reason behind the delay is:
A: Quality. We could have gotten it out for Valentine's Day but it wouldn't have been the quality that we all wanted.. The sample is nothing. Wait til you hear. It gives you chills. I've heard it 8 million times and it still gives me chills.
Q: So right now the music is still being added?
A: The final orchestration is being done and some of the final mixing and editing. Then comes the manufacturing of it. Then all the marketing.
Q: We've looked for it since September.
A: Right, well, it's taken us two years to do it. We said let's not go for Valentine's Day, let's just go for top quality, then we don't need any type of a date for it to sell. It will sell because it will be so good.
Q: Is it unusual for Capitol to distribute a spoken-record like this?
A: Yes, it is. It's definitely a landmark record. Even the guys involved, after listening to rock & roll all day; you go into the offices at Capitol and you hear this playing — everyone says that they don't need their Valium anymore.
Q: Anything we can do at our end? One reader suggested that we might request it to be played on local radio stations.
A: Just tell everybody about it. [2]
Fans Felt the Recording was Poorly Marketed
The "Of Love and Hope" album should not be the success it turned out to be. Capitol's advertising efforts have been abysmal. And if fan sources are correct, fewer than a third of the K-Mart stores nationwide announced and/or displayed the "Beauty Meets the Beast Contest" promotional materials supposedly distributed to them. (This editor wishes CBS luck in its dealings with the department-store chain). Further, it arrears that most radio stations never received a copy of the Emmy-nominated single "The First Time I Loved Forever." When it was realized that their local DJ's couldn't play something they didn't have, fans themselves sent them store-bought copies. More than one group (like the 'North Annex of the Tunnels' in Kent Bridge, Ont.) sent out the single as part of a gift basket tailored to each radio personality. St. Louis' KCZK-FM not only continues to play the single on request, but it also royally plugged the season finale June 2nd, thanks to the efforts of one [Jan B] of Dittmer, MO.
The first pressing, some 200,000 albums, was sold within a month and a half of its release. So who knew those albums even existed, let alone bought than all? We did. And it wasn't easy. While waiting for the local record store to get in a single copy, the bulk of the supplies sat unnoticed on department store shelves. And those records, if discounted for less than 2/3 of their retail value, will never be counted on Billboard's chart
But against all odds, the record is still doing phenomenally well, and has an added fringe benefit. Even as the initial 'fur flying' press coverage has yet to level-off, a poetry collection making it onto the pop charts has only just begun to generate still more press. This in turn continues to gather still more 'closet beasties' into the fold (yes, there are still people out there who think they are alone!). As a result, even as our first wave of Helpers succumbs to writer's cramp and/or sheer exhaustion, a continuous tide of support for "Beauty and the Beast" still laps at the network mailroom. The more our numbers increase, the more newsworthy we become, and therefore, the more our numbers increase! Is this what is meant by nothing succeeding like success? Hmmm. [3]
Ron Perlman at Sam Goody
A fan describes the fan reaction to one of the album's promotions, as well as taking a jab at TPTB's decision to cancel the show:
According to a reliable source, the tour premiere for the album "Of Love and Hope" exceeded all expectations. Fans waited to see Ron Perlman and hopefully get his signature. The line to Sam Goody's (record store) in New York ran two thousand people long. It beat the length of previous lines for Barry Manilow and Patrick Swayze.
What made it so ironic was that the line stretched all the way to... CBS. Since the record-signing was just after lunch, what a surprise for returning CBS execs!
Remember the program you guys cancelled? Well, those are fans of that same program. F-A-N-S. Ever heard of those? [4]
Fan Comments
On the morning of Saturday, May 20th, CBS ripped the rose-colored glasses from my eyes and shattered them, along with my heart, into a thousand pieces. I was walking out the door, on my way to work, when the early morning newspaper arrived. Impulsively, I flipped it open to the entertainment page and scanned it briefly as I had for the last several days, searching for some news on the fate of B&B. The lump in my throat was immediate. There it was in black and white: "CBS announces new fall line-up. Cult fave B&B has been CANCELLED...." Numbly, I turned and left for work, vainly fighting back the tears. Weather-wise, it was a gloomy morning. Gray and raining...and the analogy wasn't lost on me. In my car, I flipped on my cassette "Of Love & Hope". Laura's Theme was playing, a song I had grown to love. Only this morning that lovely melody sounded like a death knell...a swan song. [5]
The spoken word album "Of Love and Hope" has sold over two hundred thousand dollars worth. As of August 15th, it was #158 on Billboard and expected to go higher. The last time a spoken word album did well was Rod McKuen's album of poetry. And it didn't make the charts! Let's give a lot of albums for Christmas presents this year!!! And keep on requesting your local radio station to play selections off it. [6]
References
- ^ from Pipeline v.1 n.7 (December 1988)
- ^ from Pipeline v.2 n.3 (March 1989)
- ^ by Stephanie Wiltse in Pipeline v.2 n.9 (September 1989)
- ^ from Pipedreams v.2 n.4 (July/August 1989)
- ^ from Once Upon a Time... Is Now #13
- ^ from Beauty and The Beast: The Newsletter v.2 n.7 (September 1989)